Are you a women-led start-up looking for tips to secure funding through your pitch deck? Find how you can pitch it the right way and win the funds!
We see strong, fierce, independent, and powerful women meeting their goals every single day. We see women founders getting praised because their brainchild has now spread its wings and is reaping results. We see women leading and making wonders happen. But, do we see their struggles? Do we see the sleepless nights, the frustrating days, and the years they hustled to get their magic work?
Where all the women-led start-ups make many of us think that setting up a start-up is a piece of cake but the reality is quite opposite and surprising. The success, the fame, the crazy sales, the revenue, the investments, the top-notch team, and so many other things that we think comes easy, it does not.
The most crucial factor that every founder considers before starting their start-up is that how they are going to fund it. For women, the question is not just HOW they are going to fund it but also, WHO is going to fund it? According to Fortune, in 2019, men had a 60% high likelihood of securing funds as compared to women for their start-up. If around 34% of companies seeking funding were women-led, only 19% received it.
Let’s talk facts.
According to Crunchbase figures, the woman funding that was 2.8 in 2019 fell to 2.3% in 2020. That’s a full-fledge 5% decline in just one year. Although male-dominated investors’ network combined with fewer women founders and investors can be some of the contributing factors but not the root cause. There are far more reasons that make this happen.
Kauffman Foundation surveyed about 350 female tech start-up leaders and almost 80% used personal savings as their primary source of funding. Although the women of the current times are the go-getters, they can easily access and assess opportunities. However, a lot of times, securing the funding is the issue. They just don’t ask. They don’t embrace the opportunity. And when they do, they are not asking the right way or let’s call it not pitching it the right way.
This is why we stress the fact that the pitch decks should not just be beautiful in design but investor-driven and pitched to the right investor and that too the right way.
Worry not, we understand the struggle and are here to the rescue.
Let’s look into how the pitch for a women-led start-up should be like and what should you keep in mind while pitching it to the investors. Not just this, we will also share success stories where women-led start-ups secured the funds they needed.
Because if start-ups led by these wonder women can secure the biggest funding of their life, what makes you think your start-up can’t join the club? Without much ado, let’s begin!
What a Women-led Start-up Pitch Deck Should Include?
We all know that we are living in a world striving for gender equality and most importantly, women empowerment. But let’s be real, it is not rainbows and unicorns for the women out there. Although according to The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) there has been a 60% increase in women-owned businesses since 2007, as per the executive director of the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University, most of these businesses are sole proprietors. They don’t have teams and they are not growing.
This takes us to the first thing related to how a women-led start-up pitch should include. A team to show off! Yes! Investors are already very picky about investing their $$$ and when it comes to women-led start-ups, the likelihood of being pickier is very high. Now when the investors invest, they want to invest in a start-up where they feel confident. If they are not sure about their resources being utilized properly, they will be doubtful about their decision.
Yes, having goals, ideas, and vision is of prime importance but when investors will know that a team is behind working on what they have invested, they feel confident. And, a lot of times, having the confidence of the investors’ really counts so always have a team, be it of two, three, or four members, but have a team.
Next on your list should be, being yourself while pitching. You being a start-up founder should know that your investors are investing in YOU! So know be yourself. Speak to your audience and engage them. Let graphics, transitions, graphs, facts, figures, and an attractive pitch deck be your best friend!
Also, your pitch should address that what makes you unique? How you are solving the problem? This gives an impression that the homework has been done and that you are into contributing to society. You are not just another start-up with a plan to launch a business that will fill your pockets. After all, having a higher purpose always helps!
Next in line should be to avoid over-estimation. Investors have heaps of experience when it comes to investing and it is no issue for them to identify a start-up that is just talks. They need to know about your plans. Give them what they want by sharing your plan of action that you will follow once you have the funds in your hand. Share with them about what will happen when your start-up has achieved its revenue goals. Share what will happen if your start-up is not able to achieve what it aimed at; what will be the exit strategy?
Last but definitely not the least, the pitch deck should include a direct quote of funds you need. Avoid using ‘sum of funds’ or ‘request for financial support’ in your deck. State the funds you need in numbers, how it will be used, and the stocks or shares the investor(s) shall get in the profit that your start-up will generate.
Always remember that although investors have money to invest, they are investing to multiply it. Show them how they are taking the right step by investing in you.
Tips on Pitch-ing it the Right Way!
Now that we have discussed how your start-up pitch deck should look like, let’s take you to some of the tips you can use to pitch the right way. After all, how you are pitching matters, that too a lot!
Coach Yourself Confident:
It is quite unfortunate that many women, if not all, are underrepresented in the start-up capital funding arena even today. Being a woman you have to be your shero! Many a time, the investor panel will push you to give up by testing your nerves. However, coach yourself confident. Stand confident and sure about your values, mission, and ideas. Do not negotiate your idea for funds.
At the end of the day, investors are not just investing in your start-up but you and your values. If you will lack confidence, how will they trust you? We hope you got our point!
Do the Investor Homework
Always do your homework on the investor. You should know who your investors are and why they will invest their capital in your start-up. Research about their business values, goals, and areas of interest. Include their ideas and values in your pitch. Tweak it accordingly to use it to your advantage.
Always Respond Instead of Reacting
Pitching to the investors’ panel is a tough row to hoe and therefore you will be presented with a lot of hurdles. For example, an investor might stop you in the middle because they are no more interested. An investor can ask you to explain one aspect multiple times because they don’t understand your idea. An investor might ask a lot of questions in the middle just to test your patience. In such situations, always remember to respond instead of reacting. Maintain your calm.
Know your Numbers
If you think that all the stunning visuals, confident talk, and brilliant ideas, goals, and visions are going to work if you are not good with numbers, then you are mistaken! Know the numbers that are involved in making you win the investment. The market projections, sales and revenue figures and so much more should be on your tips. Remember, your pitch deck presentation is the first impression you will make, ensure it is a good one!
Ask for Help on Time:
Not all of us are good at everything and this is why it is okay to ask for help. If you think you need help with designing the pitch, doing some market research, or practising it before someone to prepare yourself, DO IT! Asking for assistance or help does not make you less worthy of the funding. This little help can give you the confidence you will need. So asking for help and that too on time is of true essence, don’t miss it!
Women Who Made It!
Remember we said that women are strong and fearless and capable of achieving everything they want? We will show you here why we said so. Although the share of women start-ups securing funding is less, it is not like it’s not there.
These wonder women, have made it to their funding. If they can you can too!
Jennifer Parke – Ex-Cofounder Fair, attained $2.1 billion investment for her car-leasing service start-up! Fair provided an escape from the traditional car ownership with just an app! Yes, the app allowed the users to shop, approve, and pay for their next car with just a tap!
Amy Tseng, the President & Chief Executive Officer of Biotech company TissueTech received $110 million funding! All thanks to her goal of expanding Bio-Tissue and TissueTech, the companies she co-founded to materialize her goal of commercializing cryopreserved amniotic membrane as a technology for treating ocular surface diseases and also become an industry leader in the medical sector
Is that not amazing?
Priya Singh Dubey – Cofounder Chalo, realizing the reliance of Indians on bus service, in cooperation with Vinayak Bhavnani, Mohit Dubey, and Dhruv Chopra decided to make the service not just accessible but easy to use by providing real-time information to check the availability of buses, book monthly passes and process payments by using the start-ups’ card.
Chalo secured funding of $7 million from none other than the former CEO of WhatsApp Neeraj Arora and Amit Singhal, the former Senior VP and Head of Google Search!
Pakistan’s start-up industry, even though looks as if it’s male-dominated, the females have been making history! Sahr Said – CoFounder Beauty Hooked raised $280,000 seed funding for her platform through which the users can not only search makeup but also check honest reviews and book appointments at various salons and spas based in Pakistan.
Does it not feel super amazing to see these women doing wonders in their start-up journeys and set such a good example for the women of not just their country but other countries as well?
Bottom line…
Always remember, entrepreneurs, are born when they want to change the world, regardless of the gender group they belong to. All the stats, facts, and figures in the world will tell you success as well as failure stories. At the end of the day, it is on you to turn your passion project into reality and use it to change the world for the good.
We also understand that finalizing a pitch deck design for pitching to investors can be a daunting task. We have helped quite a good number of start-ups to create the impact that gives them the edge to secure the funding they need!
We can help you too!
Starting from designing to content research to feedback sessions, we are here to help you breeze through your funding phase! Contact us today and leave it on us to create a pitch to let them know that women are no less!
